


Second Heat

by UmpBumpFizz



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Ben Solo, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dominant Ben Solo, F/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Rey, Rutting, Submissive Rey (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-18 21:24:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16524938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UmpBumpFizz/pseuds/UmpBumpFizz
Summary: "Stay right there."She stilled instantly. Her eyes settled on his outstretched hand, her breathing shallow and rapid."You're alright... You're alright. I've got you."She blinked as she felt the warmth of his hand as he gently caressed her face. His voice... God, his voice was like silk.Safe?"I've got you. You're safe."She drew in and let out a long, shuddering breath as the scent from the gland on his wrist hit her nose, calming her instantly.Safe.





	1. Chapter 1

Rey was nervous. Very nervous. Four days ago, she had started nesting. Her instinct had driven her first to stock her apartment with food, then to round up every soft thing she owned and arrange them _just so_ in her bed. Towels, blankets, pillows, a few stuffed animals. She'd even stared longingly at a cashmere sweater in her closet for a full thirty seconds, gnawing at her lip, before resisting the urge to add that to the pile too. By now, her appetite had completely deserted her as well. 

She knew what it all meant. It had happened last time, too. Last time, she had been too afraid to try to find a mate. Last time had been a miserable experience. This time would be different. There was a festival of sorts around this time every year, when omegas were all coming into heat. It wasn't meant to be what it had become, not really. It was still mostly betas in attendance even now, but any large gathering of people at this time of year would inevitably attract alphas and omegas hoping to hook up for the week. There was always a lot of that going on at this particular festival.

Her beta friends had convinced her to go.

The problem was that her heat was coming on _so fast._ She shouldn't be this nervous yet. She should have still had another day before her pheromone-deprived body started screaming at her that everything was wrong. Now that she was here, following her pack of friends to the admission gate, she was anxious. She felt too conspicuous, too vulnerable. She simultaneously craved the presence of an alpha and was terrified by the sight of any one of them she saw.

Then she saw him.

He was harassing another alpha, one several years younger by the looks of him, yanking him off an omega who was clearly frightened of his aggressive approach.

"See?! That's exactly what I'm afraid of!"

Her best friend Rose winced as she grabbed onto her arm a little too tightly. She reached over to steady her. "Yeah... I see what you mean. At least the older alphas are keeping the younger ones in line though, right? I mean... Mostly."

Rey had slowed, watching the raven-haired alpha shove the younger one away, snarling at him to get the fuck out if he couldn't approach an omega without terrorizing her. He was tall, handsome, and built like a brick shithouse. Dark hair, dark eyes... Simply gorgeous. 

But she was too afraid to approach him, especially since he seemed to be quite occupied with keeping the rowdy younger crowd in line. Rose had merely shrugged and pulled her along to catch up with the rest of their group. "There are plenty of alphas here, Rey. You'll find one that doesn't scare you."

But she didn't. Rey saw the same scene playing out repeatedly as they made their way through the festival grounds. Young inexperienced alphas getting caught up in their hormones and coming on far too strong and aggressive, omegas shrinking away from them in fear, older alphas keeping the peace as best they could when they weren't busy seducing an omega of their own. All she could think of was the first alpha she had noticed. 

Her heat was still progressing far more rapidly than it should have been, and by the time they all settled at the end of a long line of tables, most of them with greasy fair food that turned Rey's stomach to even look at, she was on the verge of panic. 

Rose stroked her hair reassuringly as she huddled miserably at the table. 

"I don't know what to do, Rose... I don't know what to do! I should have talked to that one near the gate when I had the chance, I should have known that this would get worse..." 

"Rey, breathe. I'll find him for you. I'll bring him back."

She was off before Rey could stop her, weaving though the crowd until she was lost to view. _Fuck._

Rose found him sitting on a retaining wall that ran alongside one of the paths. A grease-soaked paper tray sat empty next to him, and he held a Styrofoam cup in the hand he wasn't leaning back on. Shit, even relaxed he looked scary close up. She took a deep breath. 

His eyebrows shot up when he saw her approaching, and he hummed appreciatively. "Hey there, beautiful. Look at you, brave little thing." She stammered as he reached for her wrist and raised it to his nose, but somehow couldn't bring herself to pull away. 

His expression changed as soon as he realized that the scent gland he was expecting wasn't there. He let go of her wrist, and gently trailed his fingers up her arm. "I'm sorry, little beta... Any other time, I'd love to have you, but trust me... you don't want an alpha in rut."

Rose shook herself, finding her voice. "No, I... Not me. My friend. We saw you on the way in and she liked you. Her heat is coming fast, though, and she's never been with an alpha. She didn't want to leave us to try to find you. She doesn't feel safe."

Welp. That last bit was all he needed to hear. "Take me to her."

It wasn't difficult to pick her out once she was within sight. She was sitting at the very end of a long row of tables, head down on her arms, shoulders practically up to her ears as her friends tried to reassure her. He paused briefly, watching her frightened eyes roam back and forth, then squeeze shut as if she were overwhelmed. She opened them again just as he was approaching, his long strides rapidly closing the distance between them. Her beta friends quickly and wisely slid down the benches on either side of the table to give them space, Rose taking her place among them.

_Fuckfuckfuck here he comes here he comes run run run RUN_

"Stay right there."

She stilled instantly. Her eyes settled on his outstretched hand, her breathing shallow and rapid.

"You're alright... You're alright. I've got you."

She blinked as she felt the warmth of his hand as he gently caressed her face. His voice... God, his voice was like silk _. Safe?_

"I've got you. You're safe."

She drew in and let out a long, shuddering breath as the scent from the gland on his wrist hit her nose, calming her instantly. _Safe._

"There, now... What's your name, little omega?" 

She merely stared, still wide-eyed even as her breathing slowed. "I... Um..." His eyes flicked over to the betas that were several feet away with similar countenances, and he arched a brow. Rose piped up. "Uh... Her name is Rey."

She blinked again as his eyes settled back on her face. "Alright then, Rey. I'm Ben. Your friend over there tells me that you've never been with an alpha. Is that true?" She nodded, and he hummed. "Is this your first heat, then? Or your second?" 

She finally regained her ability to speak as his other hand rose to stroke her face, giving her a double dose of his scent. "Second. I... stayed home the first time." She turned her face into the warmth of his palm. 

He remembered what her friend said about how rapidly this heat seemed to be overtaking her. "When did you start losing your appetite, Rey?"

"Last night."

"And have you eaten at all today?"

She shook her head, then paused. "Well... I tried to eat some cereal early this morning but I could only manage a few bites..."

Shit, she wasn't joking, nor was her scent lying. She was rapidly approaching her time. Ideally he would already have her home at this point, snuggled in her nest and eating from his hand. It was a crucial part of the bonding process, after all; most omegas wouldn't get up to feed themselves during their heat. It was one of the reasons omegas who went without an alpha emerged from their seclusion in such a haggard state. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small pouch of fruit snacks he'd brought. They were supposed to be for later, but oh well. It would be hard for her to resist sugar in just about any form right now.

"Here. Eat." Her nose wrinkled as he brought one to her lips, and she turned her head. "I... I don't want to. Not here."

He gently took her chin in his other hand, locking eyes with her. "Hey. I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. _Eat_." 

_Obey, obey, obey, do what he says, open your mouth_

The second the sweetness of the small fruit-flavored gummy hit her tongue, her eyes slid closed in bliss. His fingers followed, briefly, before being quickly replaced by another gummy. God, what was it about this? His scent, his soft yet commanding voice, taking food from his hand... It was all violently mashing an entire dashboard full of buttons that she didn't even know she had. Everything about it felt right, even eating food outside the comfort of her nest, as long as he was feeding it to her. Fuck, she wanted to be in her nest right now, though. With him. She wanted to pull him down into those blankets and towels until the whole thing was drenched in his scent, and then she wanted to wallow in it forever.

"Good girl."

Oh _fuck_. Those words sent a jolt of electricity straight downstairs, and she whimpered softly. He only smirked and pushed another gummy between her lips. "Gotta get you home, little omega... Where do you live?"

The heat between her legs grew as she watched him type her address into Google maps. Home. Yes, home. Home meant the nest, home meant more hand-feeding, home meant...

"Fuck!" She startled as he swore and jumped to his feet, suddenly taking off toward yet another young alpha. Rey felt a jolt of panic, and she stood and took a step after him. _Come back come back come back don't leave me please please please_

"Pick her the fuck up and carry her. I see you dragging her again..." The other alpha had let go of his frightened omega and was now snarling up into Ben's face. Ben only snarled back, menacing the smaller man. "You wanna do this, asshole? Hmm?" He pointed to the other omega, who had shrunk back and was staring wide-eyed, waiting to see what would happen. Waiting to see if they'd fight. "She's watching!"

Rey was watching too. Fuck, he was big. And strong, and aggressive, and protective, and he smelled so fucking good...

"Yeah. Smart kid." The young buck had backed off, and was now carrying his omega away. Rey reached for Ben as he returned, still grumbling angrily. "Gotta get out of here... Can't police these little shits all night... Got my own omega to worry about." He scooped her up bridal style, suddenly glancing up as he remembered the table of betas who had watched their entire interaction start to finish. Most were staring at them with a mixture of awe and concern etched into their faces. Rey had, of course, forgotten that any of them even existed and was happily nestled against his chest, reaching up to stroke his hair. Her scent had intensified and it caused his full rut to hit him like a freight train now that she had her wrist right up against his face. 

His breathing became haggard, and the sight of the group of betas so close to his omega made him grit his teeth. He needed to get her home while he was still lucid. "I assume you people are smart enough not to come looking for her. Text her if you're worried. Interrupt us, and I'll fucking kill you." He had just enough awareness to reach down and grab her purse with her keys in it before taking off toward his car.


	2. Chapter 2

By time they were back at Rey's apartment, she, being the more lucid of the two, was the one in charge. She took her purse and keys from Ben and quickly got her door open. Her apartment was immaculately clean, her pantry and freezer full of the sorts of things she hoped she would actually want to eat over the next few days. She led him through the living room, down the hall, and to her bedroom.

Her nest would have looked like a random jumble to a beta, but to Rey it was perfect. Blankets around the edges, towels layered on the bed itself. The stuffed animals had been afterthoughts, really, but she liked the way they looked. Ben would have found them a nice touch, if that part of his brain were functioning.

Now that the moment was upon them, Rey was growing nervous again. Would it hurt? Would he accidentally get too rough? She didn't seem to be feeling the intense arousal that should have been there. Was there something wrong with her? Would he sense it and leave? The thought made her shudder, and she pressed herself against him, seeking comfort.

"I've got you, Rey. You're all mine..."

He maneuvered her toward the bed and she obediently climbed into it. The weight of the thick blankets against his feet grated on him, so he kicked them out of the way a bit once he was in the nest with her, making room for his long legs. That was okay, Rey decided. He wasn't altering her nest, he was only making himself comfortable within it. After all, it wasn't just hers anymore, and... Seriously, why the _fuck_ wasn't she desperately horny? 

He had started to shed his pheromone-drenched clothing by now, and she quickly grabbed them as he tossed them aside and incorporated them into the nest. She barely noticed that he was both moving her and moving around her as she worked, his breath ragged, positioning her with her back to his front. His hand brushed her hair out of the way to reveal the back of her neck, and his fingers grazed the gland there, his nails raking gently over it. She gasped. Holy fuck, that was it. That was what she needed, she needed him to...

The skin surrounding the small gland was suddenly between his teeth, and she cried out as a firestorm of lust overtook her. Now it was her turn to lose herself as he gently soothed the bite with his tongue. Her own clothing was quickly stripped off, with him mirroring her earlier actions, though he wasn't nearly as delicate about weaving each item in with the blankets. The insides of her thighs were already slick, and suddenly he was grabbing hold of her and forcing her down onto her belly and oh God his weight was on her now and...

It didn't hurt. Not really, anyway. The most uncomfortable part was how tightly he was holding onto her; holding her still as he took her, seating himself firmly inside her and wasting no time getting started. It was fast and rough and nothing had ever felt better; it was like every single nerve in her entire body was singing. She couldn't stop moaning, couldn't have stayed quiet if she tried. _Knotmeknotmeknotmepleasepleaseplease_

He swore viciously as he came. The pressure of his knot expanding so rapidly within her hit every spot it needed to, and her own orgasm was swift and violent. They both fell to their sides, exhausted and sweating, and the haze began to lift.

"You okay?"

"Mmmhmm... So much better than last time..."

"Good. Rest. It won't be long before it's time again."

He wasn't kidding. Her arousal was already building. By time his knot shrank enough that he could pull himself free, she was already desperate for another round. He got up and made her drink a glass of water first, refusing to touch her again until she grudgingly gave in.

They fell into a routine that played itself out repeatedly over the next two days. Sex, rest, food and water, a trip to the bathroom if needed, then back to the nest. Sleep happened intermittently for them both during their rest periods, whenever they were too exhausted to stay awake. Every bite of food or drink of water she took, she took from his hand.

By day three, the nest was a mess and they both smelled to high heaven. His rut ended just as her heat did, allowing their higher functions to resume. When he suddenly noticed the stuffed elephant next to his head and thought it was cute of her to include it, he knew it was over. Time to get up, time to bathe, time to make sure she was ready to go back out into the world... Time to leave. She wouldn't tolerate him in her space for more than another few hours.

He woke her and hauled her up from the bed, ignoring the way she snarled and tried to bite him. She glared at him as he dragged her into the shower with him, though she relented when he started to wash her, shivering with delight at the way the rough bath sponge felt on her skin. They chatted briefly about their lives and jobs as they deconstructed the nest, and afterwards she even put up with his insistence that he help her start a load of laundry before she started getting testy with him. He wisely made his way toward the door before he got his eyes clawed straight out of his head. 

He left her with a final admonishment to check her phone and let her friends know she was alright.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was only going to have three chapters but now it's gonna have four.
> 
> Also, I have allowed my experience with customer/food service to bleed into this fic. I make no apologies.

Rey was instantly relieved when Ben left. As much as she had enjoyed his company during her heat and as helpful as he'd been once they left the bedroom, it had still been unsettling to suddenly realize she was harboring someone who was more or less a complete stranger in her apartment, and it drove her to urge him out the door (perhaps a bit more harshly than she should have). She looked around after closing the door behind him and was instantly grateful for the intense cleaning spree she had gone on as part of the nesting phase; she wouldn't have to worry about that again for days, save for washing the rest of the nest material. Yikes, that would take a while, though. She might even have to burn some of those fluid-soaked towels. Her eyes flicked over to her kitchen just as a pang of intense hunger hit her. Again, gratitude. Her actions had seemed over the top at the time, but now she understood why she had been driven to do all of it. Although, to be honest, two giant pans of lasagna might have been overkill. Exhausted and starving, she went to retrieve her phone from her purse, but it wasn't there. Instead she found it in the kitchen, plugged in and overwhelmed with notifications. Ben must have put it there at some point. 

She thought of him as she took one of the pans of lasagna out of her fridge and set about cutting herself a massive portion of it. He had been amazing, really. Everything an alpha should be. She idly wondered if she would start to miss him. She hoped not. They hadn't even exchanged numbers. It would be nice to find him again next time her heat was upon her, but that was a long time off. 

Now it was time for food. Normally she'd want a salad and garlic bread to go with lasagna, and she certainly had plenty on hand, but she wasn't willing to bother with it this time. She just wanted an easy meal. She started going through her messages as it warmed in the microwave, face-palming at how many of them were nothing but eggplant emojis. _You guys are stupid,_ she thought. Rose, of course, had sent a string of encouragement followed by a few "hope it's going okay!" messages. Rose would be the one she invited over after she finished eating.

An hour later, Rey was stretched out on her couch while Rose sat on the floor in front of her with her own plate of lasagna.

"I can't believe he hit on you when you approached him."

"I mean, he didn't, really. I think he just assumed I was an omega who wanted to jump on his dick. He shut it down the second he realized he couldn't scent me. Said I wouldn't want an alpha in rut."

"You wouldn't. It's strange, really... How different it is from normal sex. There's no foreplay, no dirty talk, nothing but a quick fuck and an explosive orgasm for both of us followed by being stuck together for a good ten minutes afterward. I mean, that makes it sound awful, and it would be if not for the whole heat thing I guess. So he wasn't lying."

"Did it hurt? I mean, that knot business sounds... Painful."

Rey shook her head. "Nope. It's basically an instant orgasm, every time. No, literally. Every time."

"Holy fuck. Maybe I do need to start sleeping with alphas."

"I don't think it works like that for betas, unfortunately. Hell, I don't think it even works like that for me if I'm not in heat."

"And he just left after? Without even leaving his number?"

"He made sure I was up and clean and ready to function again before he left. I wanted him gone, though. As much as I liked him, I just wanted my apartment to be mine again. It didn't even occur to me to try to make sure I could find him again. Obviously he felt the same." She shrugged, even as a small pang of sadness tugged at her heart. _Oh, goddammit._

"That's sort of... sad, though."

She sighed deeply. "Yeah... It is."

Ben, for his part, was also feeling slightly melancholy once the residual effects of his rut wore off. He had never before wished he had tried to stay in touch with an omega after mating with her. It had worked out that way in some cases regardless, and he still chatted with one or two of them from time to time, but he had never once immediately regretted leaving without a way to reconnect. Something was just different about Rey. He couldn't figure out what, of course. He barely knew her. The most actual conversation they'd had spanned the five minutes it took them to clear the bed and sort everything into proper laundry piles. He knew she was from London and that she worked at a local bagel shop. Everything else he knew about her was what he gleaned through observation. Her fridge was full of Italian food; her movie shelf contained a whole slew of Disney Blu-rays. The stuffed elephant from her nest seemed to be her favorite. She had a fish tank that he hazily remembered sprinkling food into on a few of his trips out to the kitchen for something to feed her.

Maybe it was just loneliness. He'd hit thirty this year, after all. Plenty of alphas his age had already run across an omega they ended up wanting to hang onto after everything was said and done. He sighed deeply as he stepped into his own empty apartment and shut the door. Technically, he did know where she worked. If he wanted to see her again, that was the only way. He could just, you know... Go and ask her out. 

Two days later, Rey was fully recovered and back to work, gritting her teeth as she endured the constant ribbing from the handful of friends who had been at the festival when Ben had carted her off. "God, you lot are the absolute worst. Why do I even hang out with you people outside of work?"

It continued until their manager had finally snapped at them to knock it the fuck off before any customers heard their bawdy jokes. Of course, by then she was _thinking about it._ Being distracted from her work by sexual fantasies was already a unique talent of hers, and now that she'd been with an alpha... Well, let's just say that Rey would have loved to have found out what _normal_ sex would be like with Ben. The kind with teasing, and foreplay, and filthy dirty talk. God, the dirty talk that man must be capable of with that voice of his. She squeezed her thighs together. It was better than pining for him, but it was still gonna be a long shift. 

Things had quickly settled back into the same old routine after that. Long lines, people on their fucking cellphones at the counter (she'd have bought a signal jammer with her own money by now if it weren't highly illegal), going to get needed supplies only to find that they hadn't even been ordered. Her frustration did nothing to dampen her arousal, unfortunately. Rey was cleaning underneath a table during a lull in business, trying not to imagine Ben's hand snaking into her hair and pulling, when Rose suddenly gasped and kicked her lightly. She narrowly avoided slamming her head into the underside of the table as she stood back up, following her gaze. She dropped the rag she'd been using in shock at the sight that greeted her.

Everyone behind the counter stopped to stare at him. It must have been strange for them, after all. No longer in rut, his polite, reserved demeanor stood in stark contrast to the aggression he'd displayed a few days before. 

Rey quickly slipped out from behind the counter to greet him. "Gosh, hi... I, uh... I was afraid I wouldn't ever see you again."

He gazed down at her fondly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, yes... Of course I'm okay. I was a bit sore after, but... Everything is fine." She glanced back at her coworkers, who were still watching, and his gaze followed hers. He winced, instantly recognizing them as the people he'd literally threatened to kill a few days ago. Yikes. Forcing down his embarrassment at his own behavior, he turned his eyes back to Rey.

"So, uh, now that I know you're alright... I was wondering if maybe you'd like to get dinner tonight. There's a fantastic Italian restaurant a few towns over. Might be a bit of a drive, but..." 

Her heart raced, and her face broke into a an excited grin as every fantasy she'd had that day suddenly seemed to be flirting with becoming reality. "I have a better idea. We could save the restaurant for later and you could just come back to my place and help me with the mountain of food I have stockpiled."

A "Seriously, Rey?" and a chorus of soft giggles rang out from behind the counter. Rey raised her arm and flipped them off without even breaking eye contact with Ben. Thank God the place was dead at the moment. 

He couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, alright, I'm certainly not about to turn down a second invitation to your place."

She folded her arms and smirked up at him. "You know, technically I never _invited_ you the first time."

He stepped closer and reached for her wrist, lightly trailing his fingers over the gland there. "Didn't you?" His voice was low and seductive, and she shivered. 

Now it was his turn to smirk. "Here's my number. Text me later and we'll figure it out." 

His phone buzzed mere seconds after he walked out the door. A text from an unknown number. Rey's number, no doubt. He grinned like a fool upon opening it. 

It was a single eggplant emoji.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay on this last chapter. Work stress followed by a minor surgery that I'm recovering from got in the way.

"So... You might have gone a bit overboard with the food part of the nesting process."

"I never thought I'd see a day where I'd get sick of lasagna."

"I mean... we could just start with one of the three gallon freezer bags of chili I saw when I looked in there the other day."

Rey facepalmed as Ben leaned against her kitchen counter, arms crossed over his massive chest. "Christ, what was I thinking?"

He shrugged, an insufferable smirk gracing his face. "You weren't. You were following instinct. See where that gets you?"

Rey snorted derisively as she hauled one of the frozen bags of chili out. Normally she'd have already fired off a snarky comeback, but for once she actually finds herself at a loss to think of anything. She refuses to entertain the notion that he might just have her well and truly distracted. 

"Needs time to thaw. Shouldn't take too long if I put it in water."

"I'm sure we'll find something to do to pass the time."

It was remarkable, really, what that man's voice could do to her. Here she was, mere days out of a heat cycle in which she had been thoroughly satisfied over and over... And yet, all it took were a few seductive words, and she was _aching_ for him. Okay, so maybe she _was_ a bit distracted. 

Within seconds she found herself pinned against her refrigerator, standing up on her toes as he crushed his lips to hers. _Fuck_ , he tasted good, and the way his faint stubble rasped against her skin made her toes curl. Those sorts of details had been lost before, in the intense haze of her heat, but now... Now her mind was clear enough to appreciate them. She let out a soft whimper as he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Let's take it slow this time, shall we?"

Rey had never agreed to anything faster.

Her bed was just her bed now; no nest to snuggle down into, no pile of blankets trapping their scents. He laid her down on her back, kissing her fiercely again as she slid her hands up his back underneath his shirt. God, he was like a solid brick wall of muscle. His scent hadn't changed much now that he was out of rut, but there was a subtle difference in how it made her feel this time. Instead of intensifying her lust, it caused a sudden rush of tenderness to bloom in her chest as she remembered the way he had tended to her needs during her heat. 

_He took such good care of me._

For all their talk of taking things slowly, both were quick to shed their clothing. His hands were everywhere, and she writhed under his touch, biting her lip as he pushed her thighs apart and dropped to his belly on the bed between them. This is when he finally opted to slow down, turning his head to plant a kiss on the inside of her thigh.

"You can stop teasing me anytime now," she chided. He glanced up at her from between her legs, his eyes dark with a strange mixture of lust and amusement. "I've barely touched you."

"Exactly."

He huffed a soft laugh. "And what if I want you to beg?"

"Alphas don't always have to get what they want."

Another laugh, this one colored with a hint of incredulity, along with a pointed look. "Neither do omegas, _omega._ "

Well _fuck_ , he had her there. She opened her mouth to retort, but shut it again. _Fine, have it your way_ , she thought, her eyes narrowed. 

He grinned, leaving his position between her thighs in favor of crawling up and planting his hands on either side of her, silently menacing her. "You gonna pout now, little girl?"

She glared up at him. "Fuck you. Actually, no, I've thought better of it. Fuck _me_."

He wasn't impressed. "I'm gonna have to wash that filthy mouth of yours out with soap."

"Fine. _Please_ fuck me." Willful defiance seemed like an incredibly unwise thing to be engaging in with this man; but it was fun, this back and forth they had going on.

Ben, of course, had his own idea of fun. It involved spanking unruly, bratty omegas right back into submission when they got out of line. Rey suddenly found herself planted firmly across his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed. She had just enough time for realization to become regret before the first smack landed, sending a shockwave of arousal all the way up her spine and back again. The second swat fell a bit harder, and Rey cried out as she tried to squirm away.

"Hold still, omega." There was something in the tone of his voice that brooked no argument or dissent. All there was to do was obey. Rey stilled across his lap instantly, her omega lizard brain winning out over the higher functions that told her to keep defying him, keep escalating, keep pushing his limits, simply because it was a fun thing to do.

"Are you ready to behave? Or do I need to swat a few more little lessons into your ass? I can do this all night, Rey." Another heavy smack landed, as if to drive his point home. 

"What's it gonna be, little omega? Are you ready to be good for your alpha?" 

"Yes," she squeaked. "Alpha, please... I need-"

"I know what you need." There it was again, that low rumble, that intoxicating tone in his voice. She was so wet now that his fingers slid inside effortlessly the second they found their mark. Rey arched her back, lifting her ass up at an obscene angle to give him further access. She could feel him getting hard underneath her and would have reached for his cock the moment she felt it had he not moved her off of his lap to position her once again on her back. By time he had her where he wanted her, he was back between her thighs and too far away for her hand to reach where she wanted to touch. But it was okay, everything was okay, because _oh God_ his tongue was sliding through her folds and his fingers were back inside her and all she needed was for him to curl them just right and she'd explode for him.

She got the firm press against her g-spot that she so desperately craved. What he suddenly opted to deny her was his tongue on her clit. She grit her teeth in frustration. The fucker was _still_ toying with her.

"Beg, omega. Remember your place and _beg_."

Rey suddenly just didn't care anymore. Winning this little battle wasn't something she'd ever really wanted in the first place. She'd do anything he wanted at this point; not only because he had her horny out of her mind, but because she was his omega and he was her alpha. So she begged. She begged harder than she ever had in her life, and before she knew it she was cumming harder than she ever had in her life. 

"Good girl... Such a good girl..." He was moving back over top of her now, slotting his hips between her legs and reaching between them to guide himself home. She wrapped her legs around him and sighed happily as he slid in to the hilt. 

"I won't knot you this time... I know you're still sore..."

"Alpha, please... Please don't hold back. I can handle it, I know I can..."

He ignored the whine in her voice, shaking his head once as he began to move. "Hush, omega... There'll be other times. After you've rested, after you've healed..."

His thrusts were agonizingly slow at first, as he waited to make sure her body was able to accommodate him without pain. He dropped down onto his elbows, kissing her as she adjusted once again to having him inside of her, only this time face to face. That warm feeling of tenderness and affection bubbled up to the surface again, and she moaned softly. God, was this what making love felt like? Was she falling in love with him? Was it mutual? Did any of that even fucking matter right now?

No. No it did not.

His pace soon began to increase, and Rey's cries of pleasure became louder. She let her legs slide down from around his waist, and he quickly repositioned them over his shoulders. The new angle was intense, and the second he brushed his thumb over her clit she just _shattered_. He joined her over the edge near instantaneously, releasing her legs and leaning his head down to bury his face in her neck. His fists gripped the sheets as he lost himself, making sure with his last coherent thought to pull out just enough once his knot began to swell that it wouldn't become trapped inside her; wouldn't press against already tender flesh that in all honesty probably shouldn't even have taken the pounding it just got. His spend filled her just the same, however; just as it had countless times during her heat.

She winced as he pulled out and rolled to the side, silently thankful for his refusal to listen to her pleas to knot her. She'd probably be in tears right now if he had, and would likely have ended up bleeding all over her sheets. _These poor sheets_ , she thought, knowing they'd have to be washed again, blood or no.

Silence reigned for several minutes while they recovered on opposite sides of the bed, one of them occasionally flopping an arm across to the other to satisfy the need for skin to skin contact while allowing themselves the space they needed to cool down.

"We could just get in the shower," Rey suggested. 

"We should probably put that chili in water to thaw like we were going to before we got carried away first."

"...Fuck."

It turned out to be just fine, because waiting for the chili to thaw out gave them plenty of time to relax in the shower, alternating between washing one another and just talking.

"Rose likes you, you know. She'd be glad to see you stick around." _And so would I_ , was the subtext. 

Ben winced, remembering Rey's plucky young friend who had sought him out for her at the festival. The one who he had immediately assumed to be an interested omega, followed by assuming her to be an interested beta, only to find out she wasn't interested at all. Fuck him, _every year_ he'd tell himself he wouldn't get rut-stupid and yet every year...

"I'm glad to hear she still has any opinion whatsoever of me after dealing with me in rut."

"You weren't that bad."

"... Rey, I threatened to kill your entire group of friends."

"Yes, I was there. It was kind of hot, actually."

"Because you were in heat, dingus."

She stuck her tongue out at him. He was tired and sated, so he let it go this time.

Rey came back to her point, though. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... _I'd_ like it if you stuck around. And I don't know, maybe it's silly of me, getting all sappy over the first alpha I've mated with. Maybe I'm being stupid, maybe I'm not being careful enough. But now that I've had you here outside my heat, perfectly lucid and able to actually enjoy your company, I just... I don't know. But I'm not going to lie to you and act like I won't miss you if you go."

"Rey... Look, I don't want to stop you from exploring all your options. You're what, eight, nine years younger than I am?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. So there it was. She squeezed them shut, hoping that Ben wouldn't notice her crying with the shower running before she could get it together.

But he did notice. He pulled her to him, tucking her head under his chin with one hand as he pushed the shower head to the side with the other to stop it splashing in her face. "Hey, wait. Listen to what I have to say. This isn't the rejection you seem to think it is. Just listen." She sniffled, her fingers gripping the skin covering his shoulder blades.

"I'm not saying we can't be a thing. We can. I want us to be a thing. I want you to be my thing."

A muffled snort. "How romantic of you."

He huffed. "Shut up. You know what I mean. I'm just saying that a monogamous relationship at your stage of life... I mean, come on. You see what happens to betas that marry young. They get divorced. They often have children, and then they _get divorced_. I don't want that for us."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, idiot. I'm not even asking for monogamy. Hell, we can just be friends with amazing benefits for all I care. I just don't want you to disappear."

"I am _not_ going to disappear. I've grown rather fond of you, if that somehow wasn't painfully obvious."

She hugged him tighter. "Then why are we having this stupid conversation?" 

He sighed. "We're gonna catch feelings, you know. And then what?"

She let him go, waving her hands dramatically. "Oh, _noooooo_ , falling in love. That would be _teeeeerrible_."

His hand flew to her throat, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head at finding herself pinned against the shower wall. He smirked down at her. "Watch it, omega."

She smirked right back up at him as heat began to pool between her legs. "Yes, Alpha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who'd like to see the orgasm that provided the inspiration for Ben's in this chapter can go here and skip to about 10:15 (THIS LINK IS LITERAL PORN AND IS OBVIOUSLY SUPER NSFW):
> 
>  
> 
> https://tinyurl.com/yce3jp5d
> 
>  
> 
> You're welcome.


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